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1Sometime later, during Artaxerxes’ rule as the king of the Persians, Ezra arrived. He was the son of Seraiah son of Azariah son of Hilkiah son of Shallum
2son of Zadok son of Ahitub son of Amariah son of Uzzi son of Bukki son of Abishua son of Phinehas son of Eleazar son of the high priest Aaron.
3Ezra came up from Babylon as a legal expert well trained in the Law from Moses, a gift from the God of Israel.
4The king showed him honor because he found favor with the king in all of his requests.[#8.4 Or him]
5Going up to Jerusalem with him were some of the Israelites and some of the priests, Levites, temple singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes’ rule, in the fifth month.[#8.5 July–August, Av]
6They left Babylon on the new moon of the first month and arrived in Jerusalem on the new moon of the fifth month, since the Lord gave them a safe journey.[#8.6 March–April, Nisan; #8.6 July–August, Av]
7Ezra had such a great understanding that he left out nothing from the Law that came from the Lord or the commandments, but he taught Israel all the regulations and decisions.
8The following is a copy of the written decree from King Artaxerxes that he gave to Ezra the priest and reader of the Law from the Lord:
25Bless the Lord alone, who put this into the king’s heart, to glorify his house in Jerusalem,[#8.25 Some manuscripts add Then Ezra the scribe said.]
26and who honored me before the king, the counselors, all of his political advisors, and officials.[#8.26 Or Friends]
27I was encouraged by my God’s help, and I gathered people from Israel to go up with me.
28These are the leaders, according to their families and their divisions, who went up with me from Babylon, in King Artaxerxes’ rule:
41I assembled them at the Theras River, where I inspected them. We camped at that place for three days.
42When I found no families from the priests or the Levites there,
43I sent word to Eleazar, Iduel, Maasmas, Elnathan, Shemaiah, Jarib, Nathan, Elnathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were the leaders and persons of great learning.
44I told them to go to Iddo, who was the official in charge at the residence of the treasury,
45and ordered them to ask Iddo and his relatives and the treasurers at that place to send us some persons to serve as priests in the Lord’s house.
46By the Lord’s direction, they brought us knowledgeable persons from the family of Mahli, Levi’s son, and grandson of Israel, namely Sherebiah with eighteen members of his family;[#8.46 Gk Asbebias]
47also Hashabiah, Annunus, and a brother Jeshaiah, from the family of Hananiah, and their family, twenty persons in all.
48Of the temple servants, whom David and the leaders had given for the service of the Levites, they brought us two hundred twenty temple servants. All their names were listed in the register.
49Then I announced a fast for the young people before our Lord,
50to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, for those with us, our children and our farm animals.
51I was ashamed to ask the king for infantry, cavalry, and an escort for safety from our enemies,
52because we told the king, “The Lord’s guidance will be with those who diligently seek after him, until everything is put right again.”
53So we prayed to our Lord about these things, and we obtained mercy.
54I chose twelve of the leaders of the priestly families, Sherebiah and Hashabiah, and ten of their companions.
55I weighed out for them the silver, the gold, and the holy equipment from the Lord’s house, which the king himself, his advisors, the officials, and all Israel had contributed.
56I presented to them 37,050 pounds of silver, silver equipment worth 5,700 pounds, 5,700 pounds of gold, twenty gold bowls, and twelve bronze objects of such fine quality that it glittered like gold.
57I told them, “You are holy to the Lord, and the equipment is holy, and the silver and the gold are solemnly committed to the Lord, the Lord of our ancestors.
58Be alert and careful until you hand them over to the leaders of the priestly families, to the Levites, and to the heads of the family houses of Israel, in Jerusalem, in the inner rooms of the Lord’s house.”
59So the priests and the Levites carried the silver, the gold, and the equipment, which was in Jerusalem, and brought them to the Lord’s temple.
60On the twelfth day of the first month, we left the Theras River and arrived in Jerusalem by the Lord’s guidance. The Lord rescued us from every enemy on the way, and we arrived in Jerusalem.[#8.60 March–April, Nisan]
61After being there for three days, the silver and gold were weighed and handed over to the Lord’s house, to the priest Meremoth, Uriah’s son.
62With him was Eleazar, Phinehas’ son, and with them were the Levites Jozabad, Jeshua’s son, and Moeth, Binnui’s son. The whole collection was counted and weighed, and the total weight was recorded at that very moment.[#8.62 Gk Sabannus]
63All those who had returned from exile offered sacrifices to the Lord God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-two lambs, and twelve male goats as a well-being offering—all as a sacrifice to the Lord.
64They delivered the king’s orders to the royal managers and to the commanders of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia. These officials honored the people and the Lord’s temple.
65After these things happened, the leaders came to me and said,
66“The people of Israel, the rulers, the priests, and the Levites haven’t separated themselves from the impurities in the foreign neighboring peoples: the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Edomites.
67They and their families have intermarried with their daughters, and the holy nation has been intermixed with the land’s foreigners. The leaders and the officials have been sharing in this unlawful practice right from the start.”
68As soon as I heard about these things, I tore my clothes and my priest’s robe. I pulled out hair from my head and beard, and I sat down depressed and very sad.
69Everyone who was moved by the word of the Lord of Israel gathered around me as I mourned over this unlawful deed, and I sat there depressed until the evening sacrifice.
70After rising from my fast, with my clothes and priest’s robe still torn, I knelt down, stretching out my hands to the Lord, and spoke:
88While Ezra was praying and offering up his confession, weeping in the dust before the temple, a very large crowd of men, women, and youth from Jerusalem gathered around him. There was great weeping among the people.
89Then Shecaniah, Jehiel’s son, one of the men of Israel, shouted to Ezra, “We have sinned against the Lord, and we have married foreign women from the neighboring peoples. Yet there is hope for Israel.
90Let’s swear a pledge to the Lord about this matter, to divorce all of our foreign wives, with their children, as it seems just to you and to as many who follow the Lord’s Law.
91Stand up and take part, for it is your duty, and we are with you to act with resolve.”
92Then Ezra stood up and made the leaders of the priests and Levites of all Israel swear to do as was said, and they swore that they would.